Identification of target audience for content delivery in social networks by quantifying semantic relations and crowdsourcing

Abstract

A mechanism is provided in a data processing system for content delivery. The mechanism identifies a candidate user of a social networking service. The candidate user has an associated profile including at least one concept of interest. The mechanism determines a probability that the candidate user is interested in an item of content based on a semantic similarity of the at least one concept of interest and at least one concept tag associated with the item of content using a weighted semantic graph. Responsive to the probability exceeding a probability threshold, the mechanism delivers the item of content to the candidate user. Responsive to receiving feedback comprising at least one action taken by the candidate user with respect to the item of content, the mechanism adjusts weights in the weighted semantic graph.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, in a data processing system, for content delivery, the method comprising:
 identifying a candidate user of a social networking service, wherein the candidate user has an associated profile including a user-stated concept of interest; 
 determining a probability that the candidate user is interested in an item of content based on a semantic similarity of the user-stated concept of interest and a concept tag associated with the item of content using a weighted semantic graph, wherein the weighted semantic graph comprises nodes representing concepts and edges representing relationships between concepts of connected nodes and wherein each edge is weighted with a semantic similarity value; 
 responsive to the probability exceeding a probability threshold, delivering the item of content to a client data processing system of the candidate user; and 
 responsive to receiving feedback comprising an action taken by the candidate user with respect to the item of content, adjusting at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph, wherein adjusting the at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph comprises:
 determining an adjustment rate, AR, for the at least one semantic similarity value based on the action; and 
 determining an adjustment increment for a given edge in the relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag as:
     A = k+1 √{square root over (1+ AR )},
 
 
 
 where k is a number of edges in the relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag; and
 determining a new weight for the given edge as follows:
     Y   i =min( A×W   i ,1), 
 
 where Y i  is the new weight for the given edge and W i  is the previous weight for the given edge. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 responsive to adjusting a semantic value of a given edge between two concepts in the weighted semantic graph, incrementing an adjustment count associated with the given edge. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein adjusting the at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph further comprises:
 determining a new semantic similarity value for the given edge as: 
 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   W 
                   i 
                   ′ 
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         C 
                         i 
                       
                       × 
                       
                         W 
                         i 
                       
                     
                     + 
                     
                       Y 
                       i 
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       C 
                       i 
                     
                     + 
                     1 
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
       
       where W i ′ is the new semantic similarity value and C i  is an adjustment count associated with the given edge representing a number of times the semantic similarity value of the given edge has been adjusted. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the weighted semantic graph comprises a Resource Description Framework (RDF) graph. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , Wherein the at least one concept of interest, the at least one concept tag associated with the item of content, and concepts in the weighted semantic graph comprise Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). 
     
     
       6. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program stored therein, wherein the computer readable program, when executed on a computing device, causes the computing device to:
 identify a candidate user of a social networking service, wherein the candidate user has an associated profile including a user-stated concept of interest; 
 determine a probability that the candidate user is interested in an item of content based on a semantic similarity of the user-stated concept of interest and a concept tag associated with the item of content using a weighted semantic graph, wherein the weighted semantic graph comprises nodes representing concepts and edges representing relationships between concepts of connected nodes and wherein each edge is weighted with a semantic similarity value; 
 responsive to the probability exceeding a probability threshold, deliver the item of content to a client data processing system of the candidate user; and 
 responsive to receiving feedback comprising an action taken by the candidate user with respect to the item of content, adjust at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph wherein adjusting the at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph comprises:
 determining an adjustment rate, AR, for the at least one semantic similarity value based on the action; and 
 determining an adjustment increment for a given edge in the relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag as:
     A = k+1 √{square root over (1 +AR )},
 
 
 
 where k is a number of edges in the relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag; and
 determining a new weight for the given edge as follows:
     Y   i =min( A×W   i , 1), 
 
 where Y i  is the new weight for the given edge and W i  is the previous weight for the given edge. 
 
 
     
     
       7. The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein the computer readable program further causes the computing device to:
 responsive to adjusting a semantic value of a given edge between two concepts in the weighted semantic graph, increment an adjustment count associated with the given edge. 
 
     
     
       8. The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein adjusting the at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph further comprises:
 determining a new semantic similarity value for the given edge as: 
 
       
         
           
             
               
                 W 
                 i 
                 ′ 
               
               = 
               
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         C 
                         i 
                       
                       × 
                       
                         W 
                         i 
                       
                     
                     + 
                     
                       Y 
                       i 
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       C 
                       i 
                     
                     + 
                     1 
                   
                 
                 . 
               
             
           
         
       
       where W i ′ is the new semantic similarity value and C i  is an adjustment count associated with the given edge representing a number of times the semantic similarity value of the given edge has been adjusted. 
     
     
       9. The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein the weighted semantic graph comprises a Resource Description Framework (RDF) graph. 
     
     
       10. The computer program product of  claim 6 , wherein the at least one concept of interest, the at least one concept tag associated with the item of content, and concepts in the weighted semantic graph comprise Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs). 
     
     
       11. An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and 
 a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory comprises instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: 
 identify a candidate user of a social networking service, wherein the candidate user has an associated profile including a user-stated concept of interest; 
 determine a probability that the candidate user is interested in an item of content based on a semantic similarity of the user-stated concept of interest and a concept tag associated with the item of content using a weighted semantic graph, wherein the weighted semantic graph comprises nodes representing concepts and edges representing relationships between concepts of connected nodes and wherein each edge is weighted with a semantic similarity value; 
 responsive to the probability exceeding a probability threshold, deliver the item of content to a client data processing system of the candidate user; and 
 responsive to receiving feedback comprising an action taken by the candidate user with respect to the item of content, adjust at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph, wherein adjusting the at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph comprises:
 determining an adjustment rate, AR, for the at least one semantic similarity value based on the action; and 
 determining an adjustment increment for a given edge in the relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag as:
     A = k+1 √{square root over (1 +AR )},
 
 
 
 where k is a number of edges in the relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag; and
 determining a new weight for the given edge as follows:
     Y   i =min( A×W   i , 1), 
 
 where Y i  is the new weight for the given edge and W i  is the previous weight for the given edge. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:
 responsive to adjusting a semantic value of a given edge between two concepts in the weighted semantic graph, increment an adjustment count associated with the given edge. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein adjusting the at least one semantic similarity value of a relationship between the user-stated concept of interest and the concept tag in the weighted semantic graph further comprises:
 determining a new semantic similarity value for the given edge as: 
 
       
         
           
             
               
                 
                   W 
                   i 
                   ′ 
                 
                 = 
                 
                   
                     
                       
                         C 
                         i 
                       
                       × 
                       
                         W 
                         i 
                       
                     
                     + 
                     
                       Y 
                       i 
                     
                   
                   
                     
                       C 
                       i 
                     
                     + 
                     1 
                   
                 
               
               , 
             
           
         
       
       where W i ′ is the new semantic similarity value and C i  is an adjustment count associated with the given edge representing a number of times the semantic similarity value of the given edge has been adjusted. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the weighted semantic graph comprises a Resource Description Framework (RDF) graph. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one concept of interest, the at least one concept tag associated with the item of content, and concepts in the weighted semantic graph comprise Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs).